FEAR is a 4 letter word

For being a strong-willed, self-confident woman in her 40's, I never realized how much fear I have. I believe we all have fear - we cannot be brave all of the time. It can paralyze the best of us into doing nothing and playing it safe. Or, even worse, it can cause us to retreat and move in a direction that is back and not forward. It is so easy to tell people what we want to be different but it is extremely difficult to actually do it. I once told someone that, "The biggest dilemma will not be figuring out what we are meant to do. It will be having the courage to do it." Recently, I heard the word "vulnerable" as someone asked me if I ever show that side of me. I had not heard it in a long time and it made me think. If we admit we are fearful, then we might also admit that we are vulnerable. I don't think anyone would like to admit that they are vulnerable, because that may be interpreted as weak. I also realized that I do not let people see my "vulnerable" side - not even in front of my husband. I never let him see me cry. The one day this year he did, he said, "What are you crying for?" That kind of ruined it for me. This year, I have done more self-reflecting and soul-searching that I have done in my life. Do you have a fear that keeps you from following your dreams? What are you doing to overcome that fear? My biggest fear is failure - and everyone seeing that I failed. I realize I cannot be perfect, but I try to be perfect in front of others. It is hard and makes me take a deep breath everytime I think about it. FEAR is a four-lettered word we should try to eliminate from our vocabulary. FEARLESS is twice as long so must be twice as strong. :-)